A Condor's Quill

Venous , a story of mine about a botanist who brings a plant specimen back from an Amazonian expedition has just been published as an Editor’s Choice selection on Freedom Fiction Journal . Without giving too much away, let’s just say, that the aforementioned plant has a mind of its own. (The illustration that accompanies the story is fabulous.) Although “Venous” has a decidedly Lovecraftian feel, the more proximate inspiration was the book, Weird Plants by botanist Chris Thorogood. The author catalogs an amazing array of unusual and downright outré plants from around the world. In fact, the places where many of these specimens can be found are as exotic as the plants themselves. The suggestive manner in which Thorogood classifies the plants in his book gives you a sense of their characteristics even before you begin reading – Vampires, Killers, Fraudsters, Accomplices, Jailors, Hitchhikers and Survivors. Those with – and without – green thumbs should enjoy both my story and Thoro...

  Master Muraabi and The Mirror by James C. Clar © 2026 “… the visible universe is an illusion … Mirrors  and fatherhood are hateful because they multiply  and proclaim it.”  Jorge Luis Borges* Master Muraabi always held that mirrors were an abomination. In addition to “abetting” one’s vanity, he frequently expressed the belief that reality was nothing more than an illusion to be overcome. As such, mirrors were to be abhorred since they “multiplied and sustained that illusion infinitely.” It should come as no surprise, therefore, that Master Muraabi had all mirrors removed from his estate when he took possession of the property. It was not, of course, possible to cleanse the premises of all reflective surfaces, how could it be? Nevertheless, the master’s ban extended to all objects whose express purpose was to allow one to gaze at one’s image or which, in his judgment, multiplied the physical surroundings of (or objects in) a room to an “unreasonable or unseemly de...

It’s always exciting to have one’s work appear in a new venue. I’m proud that the summer edition of Exterminating Angel Magazine includes my story, The Strange Tale of Drs. Tumblety and Blackburn . Tumblety and Blackburn were very strange characters indeed and it occurred to me that their stories were ripe for some creative intervention. Both men (if they were in fact separate individuals) were charlatans but their history is much, much darker than that.  Both were linked, albeit inconclusively, to London’s infamous Whitechapel murders and hence, the legend of Jack the Ripper . Admittedly, I play fast and loose with the facts here – all in the interests of making a good story even better … of course!

  I've written (and rewritten) versions of this story over the years. I think this is the best so far ... The Epidemic by James C. Clar © 2026 “Hey, listen,” I said, aiming for calm and landing somewhere just short of pleading. “We can work this out here if we’re all reasonable.” I hadn’t seen or heard them arrive. One moment I was bent over my work; the next, they were simply there, encircling the battered oak table I used as a desk, hemming me in with a patience that felt rehearsed. The cow with the broken leg went first. “Reasonable,” she repeated, tasting the word as if it might be spoiled. She limped forward with measured steps. The bell at her neck gave a dull, steady clang, less a jingle than a fateful warning. “You don’t even know what that means anymore.” Her gaze swept the room, then settled back on me. “Look around. You probably don’t even realize the damage you’ve caused.” I did look – really looked – and wished I hadn’t. There was the pig with the torn ear....

  A number of stories of mine have been published in the last week or so. Thought I'd take a minute or two here and provide a quick rundown: Another Curry ( Sudden Flash Magazine ) is a tale about a rather enterprising supply steward on a train in India during the waning days of Britain's colonial rule. Prep School ( Topiary Stories ) is set in an elite Jesuit college preparatory school where things are not quite what they seem. Another Ship, Another Captain ( Topiary Stories ) is another Moby-Dick inspired story in which Ahab, too, survives the sinking of the Pequod . Just for fun, I gave it a Sci-Fi setting. Finally, There Be Dragons  ( Topiary Stories ) is yet another take on Don Quixote and the idea that the intrepid knight may not have been quite as mad as everyone thought.